Basically predicted by Tainter's Collapse of Complex Societies; functionally, the idea is that societies evolve complex institutions to maximize value extractio

Basically predicted by Tainter's Collapse of Complex Societies; functionally, the idea is that societies evolve complex institutions to maximize value extraction from a particular set of circumstances, but over time they also lose the ability to adapt to rapid changes in the environment. Complexity becomes rigidity, and when things go wrong enough the whole edifice can't maintain itself. The idea that a slowdown caused by organizational maladaptation is very much in line with his thesis.